Dhaka, Bangladesh
More than 600
workers of Lenny Fashion Ltd and Lenny Apparels Ltd blocked the
Nabinagar-Chandra highway in front of the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ)
around 7:30 am on Sunday and started demanding their arrears. A readymade
garment worker was killed in a clash between police and the workers afterwards.
The victim has been identified as Jasmine Begum, a swing operator at Goldtex
Garments Limited, said police.
Asaduzzaman,
Superintendent, Dhaka Industrial Police (zone-1), said that, the worker died
after hitting an electric pole while trying to escape the clash. He also said
they repeatedly tried to talk to the protestors.
According to police,
they had to use tear gas and water cannon against the demonstrators as they
caused over an 8km-long tailback on both sides of the highway, after around 45
minutes of road blockade.
Abdus Sobhan,
General Manager, DEPZ said that there were about 6,000 workers
in the two factories and that authorities closed the factories last January but
workers have already been paid arrears of Tk 45 crore. Attempts are being made
to pay the remaining arrears.
The protestors
alleged that the two factories announced the closure of their businesses in
January without paying dues to their workers and at least 10 readymade garment
workers were injured.
Source: The Daily Star
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